You, Me, and the Impending Blizzard
by ThePackerDragon
Summary: Truth and Ideals. These have defined Unova for generations. Not even Team Plasma could conquer them two years ago. However, now they are retooling their plans and will stop at nothing to achieve total dominance. However, what they don't know is that their demise is already in motion, as two trainers begin their journey to destiny... [Same universe as Brendan's Journey by Jmoul18]
1. Prologue: White

**...**

**_Peers around corner_**

**Heh... hey guys... bet you weren't expecting this, were you? I'll be honest, neither was I, at least until I started writing this. Welcome to _You, Me, and the Impending Blizzard,_ or, _The Extremely Gay Adaptation of __Pokémon White Two._ This fic is set about two years after _Brendan's Journey_ and _Sinnoh's Heir, _and about a year before _A Hui Hou Kākou _(By authors jmoul18, kskaundry, and Braviary Scout, respectively) I'm so excited to bring the world of Unova (at least, my own personal take on it) to this universe and I'm also excited to bring you guys along for the ride.**

**So before we start:**

**I would really, really appreciate any kind of constructive criticism on my work, and don't be afraid to speak up. Unless, of course, it's shit like Homophobia or really, really unnecessary flaming. That's not all cool.**

**I do not own Pokémon, any of its games, or any of its other lesser properties. Those fall under the ownership of GAMEFREAK.**

**Now without further ado:**

**_Prologue: White._**

**[Oh, by the way, just a quick content warning for this chapter: there's going to be a depiction of a character suffering from a panic attack, so if you're not cool with that, go ahead and skip the first section]**

* * *

**Dark and Light. Truth and Ideals. These have defined Unova for generations upon generations. Not even the crisis of two years ago could upset the balance, and instead, ended in a humiliating defeat for the alleged usurpers. However, in the two years of peace and rebuilding that the Unova region has had, the usurpers, Team Plasma, have also retooled their plans, now stopping at nothing to fully subdue the Unova region and crush all who oppose.**

**However, there is an unknown threat to their plans. Two trainers, one seeking to prove herself, and the other seeking to prove others, have just started their own respective journeys at the same time. Although they don't know it yet, their lives will define the Unova region for generations to come. They just have to take the first step.**

* * *

_**Bathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathump**_

_[Shit… not this… no…]_

_**Bathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathump**_

_[Why do you have to be so scared? It's just… everything that's about to happen… this is normal, Hilda. This is normal… just some nerves.]_

_**Bathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathump**_

_[What? What's the worst that could possibly happen on this journey? I die or something?]_

_**YOU WILL DIE. YOU WILL DIE. YOU WILL DIE. YOU WILL DIE. YOU WILL DIE. ALONE.**_

Hilda sprang out of bed like a Spoink. Everything felt numb as she felt the mass amounts of adrenaline in her veins. Her stomach felt like a twisting bunch of Ekans, tossing and turning with every pounding step over to her bathroom. Hunching over the toilet, she grabbed onto the rim of the porcelain bowl with shaky, clammy hands as she expelled what remained of her special "bon voyage supper," tasting like a vile cocktail on its way up and out.

_**Bathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathump**_

Shivering, she was barely able to flush before collapsing in a heap of pale flesh and a vomit stained, oversized _Chandelures_ t-shirt, curling herself into a fetal position on the cold, white-tile ground. Here she was- a pathetic girl who panicked and threw up on the morning of her major journey. How auspicious.

"Hilda… honey are you okay?"

The door slowly creaked open, her mother gingerly stepping in as she heard what sounded like a Houndoom in its death throes. Seeing her daughter lying on the floor, she rushed over, sitting down on the floor right next to her as she started scratching her head.

"It's… I… I…" Hilda spat out in quick succession.

"You had another panic attack?"

Hilda stayed quiet after that. Why did her mother have to know so much?

"It's okay Hilda... It's okay… can you tell me five things you can see?" Her mother cooed, hoping to alleviate her Daughter's pain. It helped… somewhat. What could she see?

_[A sink…]_

_[A toilet…]_

_[A showerhead…]_

_[A tube of toothpaste…]_

_[That one stupid skitty poster saying "you can do it!"]_

"Hilda?"

"There's… the sink… the toilet… shower… toothpaste… skitty" Hilda spat out, still obviously not in reality

"Okay… Four things you can touch?"

_[My hair…]_

_[Mom's hand…]_

_[The floor…]_

_[My ruined shirt…]  
_

"The floor… my hair… my ruined shirt… your hand…"

"Okay... three things you can hear?"

As she said that, Hilda's mother began humming a lullaby. It wasn't anything special, and slightly embarrassing whenever she thought about it, but good Arceus did it ever work when it needed to. Hilda started humming along with her as she slowly relaxed, slowing down her shivering.

Hilda's mother was satisfied that her daughter was coming back to Earth rather quickly skipping over two and one (smell and taste respectively). "Hilda… it's okay, I'm here… don't worry…"

Hilda was fully returned to earth at that point, slowly willing herself into a sitting position, looking at her mother with largely apologetic eyes.

"Mom I'm… I'm sorry…"

"Sorry about what, dear?"

"I'm… sorry about… right now… and…"

Tears started streaming down her face as she collapsed into her mother's shoulder, half crying her eyes out straight into her shoulder.

"There there… it's okay… it's okay…" her mother kept cooing, rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her daughter. This wasn't the first time this had happened, but it certainly wasn't going to be the last. That wouldn't necessarily have been a problem if today wasn't already stressful in store.

Today would be the day that Hilda selected her Pokémon. Tomorrow would be the day she… left.

"Hilda… you know you don't have to do this today… right?"

Hilda grimaced into her mother's shoulder. She was right- she didn't have to do this now. She also didn't have to do it two years ago… or four… or six… or any time in the future. She could always just remain here in Nuvema Town, becoming one of those people who wondered what might have been-

"No, Mother, I _want_ to do this. I want to see what the world has to offer to me and my Pokémon… and to try and find my own place in it, as well. Staying here in Nuvema might be fine, but… there's a _world_ out there, Mama. And I, for one, want to see it."

Hilda's mother smiled. "You are so much like your brother…" she said, shifting away from Hilda in order to look her in the face. "And I know that you'll be just as strong of a trainer like him."

Hilda smiled. She had seen her brother's old league tapes. The way he was able to look battling almost effortless, especially with the Pokémon he had. Sure, most every champion-caliber trainer was able to pull off such a feat, but with her brother… there was something special. He was brave. He was strong. He was courageous... heck, he was almost like Hoenn's Goldenrod Champion.

_He was fearless… unlike me._

"Tell you what!" Hilda's Mother interrupted her thoughts. "Why don't I just cut up some fruit! If… you're hungry that is..." Unfortunately, while they were embracing, some residual _discharge_ made its way from Hilda's nightshirt onto her Mother's sweater, making the orange stain especially noticeable on the cream-colored fabric.

"I'd… like that, mother. I really, really, would." Hilda started to feel her stomach growl when her mother suggested something to eat. Hopefully, it would stay down as well.

"Well… I guess I'll change, then…" Her mother stood up, brushing herself off as she offered a hand to Hilda.

"Same. I'd rather have this shirt clean when I leave…" Hilda ripped off the vomit stained _Chandelures _shirt, revealing a lithe, but toned figure, with cream-colored skin boasting a random freckle here and there. Throwing the shirt into the wash basket, she ventured back into her room, gathering up her clothing for the day. She figured that if she was taking the first steps of her journey, she might as well be wearing her traveling clothes, for late Summer, anyway. After changing her underwear, she first put on a pure white tank top with zero other features, other than it being very comfortable and flexible. Over that, she put on a black vest, full of pockets for various smaller items, such as potions, pokeballs, or Trainer ID. She completed her outfit with an incredibly short pair of jean shorts, so short the pockets jutted out at her outer thighs, along with leaving most of her legs exposed. Putting on a pair of black, steel-toed boots with pink laces, she made her way downstairs, where the her mother was busy hacking at a pineapple.

"Well… somebody's hungry…" Her mother quipped as she was hard at work on the board. "Professor Juniper is supposed to stay in her office for most of today. She would have had to head off to Aspertia City today, but she managed to get Bianca to take care of her errand for her."

"Heh…" Hilda sighed as she found a place on the breakfast table. "That means I get to select my Pokémon personally, don't I?"

Her mother nodded. "Aurea is a good friend of mine. You'll come to like her, too." She finished cutting the fruit. Tossing it in a bowl, she divvied it out between her and her daughter, carrying it over to the breakfast table. Hilda's mother was able to work rather fast, as it was quickly flanked by a pot of Lapsang Souchong Tea and her anti-anxiety meds.

"Thank you, mother." Hilda started to work on her fruit, as she considered exactly what her mother said. _So… she'll be able to see which Pokémon's life I'm about to make incredibly difficult… charming._ She kept working on her meal as she didn't have much to talk about with her mother. They both knew the elephant in the room- this would be her second to last breakfast at her home for a long, long time.

"Here, why don't I turn on the television? I'm sure the local news has a few things to say!" Hilda's mother proceeded to pull out a remote and turn on a television that was located on the kitchen counter where they ate. It sprang to life as it was tuned to _Good Morning Unova_ right in the middle of a story.

"_-as work continues to fully restore Lavaridge town and its hot springs. We spoke with Flannery, who was away from the town on a business trip when the eruption that buried the town occurred, and how she's handling the situation now that the crisis has long passed."_

"_Growing up in Lavaridge taught me a few things,"_ Flannery started, with her signature red hair and tied off shirt was front and center on the television before she started going off into a spiel about the strength of Hoenn's people and their tenacity. Basically, all the general fluff you say after a disaster.

Hilda's Mother nodded along. "I honestly can't even decide what was worse. The awakening of primal forces or the Plasma Putsch."

"Neither can I…" Hilda responded. "Oof, I can still remember crying into each other's shoulders because we were both so afraid…" Hilda remembered what had happened. The climactic battle between the gym leaders and the Seven Sages, grainy footage of a showdown between Reshiram and Zekrom themselves, the resignation of Alder…

They sat in silence as they picked at their pancakes. The TV kept playing away at mindless morning television before transitioning to a story that caught Hilda's eye substantially.

"_... SHE'S SURVIVED! SHE'S SURVIVED A Z-MOVE!"_

"_OH, MY ARCEUS!"  
_

"_SHE'S REACHING FROM BEHIND!"  
_

Hilda now had her eye totally towards the television, remembering the time she watched this. It was during a time she was sure she would never compete in the league and yet… Brendan had risen from almost nothing. And reaching the point that he did...

"_SHE'S DONE IT! SHE'S DONE IT!" _

"_DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?!"_

_"YES!"_

She saw an image she had watched over and over again. Brendan, May, and Gwen embracing each other on the wrecked arena floor. That battle had become a case study in classes studying Pokémon battles all over the world, as Brendan went from son of a gym leader to international celebrity almost overnight. She wondered if that was what it would look like if her brother ever became champion.

_[Heh… not that I'd ever become champion. But I'll have to see, won't I?]_

The picture transitioned from the old footage right and back to the studio, where the same Champion was sitting down with a cookie-cutter blonde anchor who looked like she had one too many shots of Botox.

"_Now let's check back in with Brendan Maple, who two years ago today became the top trainer of the Hoenn region. Mr. Maple, welcome!"  
_

_The White hatted champion smiled._

_"Thank you, thank you, I appreciate it!"_

"_Now, I have to ask, how have these past few years affected your life?"_

"_Well, I'd say that it's affected my life quite a bit, yeah. It's a bit of a change when you go from making about four to seven figures practically overnight!"_

_[It must be a change, isn't it?]_ Hilda thought to herself.

The interview went on quietly, as Hilda kept working on her bowl of fruit, plopping a cube of Cantalope into her mouth.

"… _and finally, one last question: What advice can you give to trainers aspiring to become Champion?"_

_Brendan sat and thought for a second, deeply contemplating her words._

"_I would say… you won't know what's going to happen unless you try. It's a huge amount of work just to become champion, let alone the sh-[BLEEP] I did along the way."_

_The reporter and Brendan both made a quick chuckle. _

"_I will say, however, is that the most important thing is to have fun. Enjoy yourself along the journey. Don't think of this as one major journey that'll define your life- you'll find out that that will break you. Just loosen up and have fun."_

_"Thank you, Brendan, just remember his new memoir, _Moving Mountains and Talking to a Gardevoir, _comes out September Twenty-fifth, a month from now, so be sure to keep a lookout for that at your nearest bookseller. Coming up, we interview..._

Finishing up her breakfast, she sighed heavily, knowing exactly what came next.

"Hilda…" Her mother began to ask, "Are you ready?"

Hilda nodded, standing up on legs that suddenly became shaky.

_I can handle this…_

_**Bathumpbathumpbathump.**_

_I… can handle this..._

_**Bathumpbathumpbathump**_

Hilda put on her cap, white save for a pink visor and pink Pokeball ensign, along with a pink sachel, and opened the door to the outside…

_Right into a whole new world…_

* * *

"Now, I'm expecting Hilda to come in at any moment now, so give Rosa and her friend the other two Pokémon, okay?"

Two women were sitting down, in a white, sterile-looking laboratory, with various desks, computers, bookshelves, and other scientific machinery strewn about in an otherwise organized fashion. One was obviously the head of the laboratory, wearing a white, v-necked blouse with a bottle green pencil skirt, covered by a white lab coat. Her assistant was wearing a bottle green hat and pants, a black camisole, white vest, and bright neon orange coat. Pushing in her glasses, she was listening intently to her master's instructions.

"I got that, professor, but… what if Hilda isn't coming?"

The Professor pondered. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, won't we?"

As if the stars aligned, they both heard the main door creak open and saw a meek face peering inside. "Hello? I-is anybody here?"

The Professor smiled. "See? What did I tell you?" she said in a low voice. "Hilda! Come in! We were just wondering where you were!"

Hilda sighed. "Well uh… here I am…" She slowly stepped into the lab, terrified that she would break something important. That was until she came to the two women standing there. One of them was Bianca, an old friend from a long time ago. The other…

"It's good to see you, Professor Juniper." Hilda took her hand and shook it gently, as she breathed deeply, trying to calm her fiery nerves.

"So…" Hilda said, "Today's the day, huh?"

"It is. I'm so glad you were finally ready to do this, Hilda. It means a great deal to a lot of people." Professor Juniper stood up from her chair, bringing Hilda into a tight hug as she rubbed her back.

"Right then…" Hilda pondered. "I suppose I should get the usual introductory speech, shouldn't I?"

"How astute!" Professor Juniper exclaimed. "Well, in that case, welcome…" Professor Juniper said while taking out a Pokéball, "... to a world of Pokémon."

Releasing its contents, it released a small, gray mouse Pokémon, wearing one of its many tails like a scarf.

"This world is widely inhabited by mysterious creatures called Pokémon! They have many mysterious powers. They also come in many shapes and live in many different places."

Hilda felt relaxed. This was the speech that every professor gave to aspiring trainers, whether in writing or verbally. There was something special about Professor Juniper, however. Her inflection, tone of voice, and calm demeanor rubbed off on Hilda greatly, and it visibly calmed her down for a while.

"We humans live happily with Pokémon! Living and working together, we complement each other. We help each other to accomplish difficult tasks. Having Pokémon battle one another is particularly popular, and it deepens the bonds between people and Pokémon. And that is why I research Pokémon. Well, that's enough from me…"

Professor Juniper pulled out a pen and a pad with a registration form.

"Could you tell me about yourself? Do you wish to be identified as a boy, girl, or something else?"

"Girl."

"Please state your full name."

"Hilda Blanchard."

"Last name spelling?"

"B-L-A-N-C-H-A-R-D"

"Good. SSN?"

"It's three…"

_This is it… this is it… this is it…_

_**Bathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathumpbathump**_

_Not now… not now… not now…_

"Alright!" Professor Juniper excitedly shouted. "Follow me to the photo booth…"

Hilda was a mess of nerves by this point. _What if it comes out bad? What if I blink? What if she uses the wrong person's photo-_

**FLASH**

"Perfect!" Professor Juniper said. "I rarely get it on the first try!"

Hilda chuckled. That is when she noticed Bianca holding the box. She knew that she would have one of those Pokémon in just a few moments. What a great change was literally about to happen. Suddenly, Professor Juniper came along, handing Hilda a little plastic card, still warm from the printer.

"This is your Trainer ID. This grants you the right to free medical attention for both you and your Pokémon at any Pokémon Center located throughout Unova. This also grants you the right to carry Pokémon and participate in friendly and regulation battles within any region that has a recognized Pokémon league and the Alola Region."

_Blah blah blah_

"Now that all the legal stuff is out of the way…" Professor Juniper got a devilish smile on her face. "... wanna see your new best friend?"

_**Bathumpbathumpbathumpbathump**_

Hilda began shaking again as her heart began to pound heavily. This was it- her Pokémon journey was about to begin. Bianca opened the glass case with a smile, as she noticed three Pokéballs on a purple velvet pillow.

"These Pokéballs all contain very rare Pokémon, endangered to the Unova region." Bianca began, ready to clearly explain which Pokémon was where. "The one on the far left-" she pointed to the specific Pokéball, "-is the Grass Type, Snivy. The one in the middle is the Fire Type, Tepig. And the one on the right is the Water Type, Oshawott. Make your choice carefully. Once it is final, you cannot be given any of the other two."

_**Bathumpbathumpbathumpbathump**_

It began again. Hilda's vision blurred, her palms became clammy, and her stomach began twisting into knots. She knew that she had to make a choice soon- otherwise, she may never get another chance. Closing her eyes, she fumbled her left hand around until she knew it was definitely on a Pokéball. Taking no time for Bianca to confirm her choice, she opened the ball-

To reveal an orange and black pig.

"Err… I… yes, that is Tepig, the fire pig Pokémon," Bianca reacted with slight concern. "Do you wish to keep him?"

Hilda stared at it. Her heart was still pounding, her palms still clammy, her stomach threatening to make a horrible mess on the floor... and on Tepig. Yet, somehow, against all other rhyme or reason, Hilda knelt down while shivering ever so slightly, beckoning the Tepig over with an outstretched palm. The Tepig waddled over, seeing this new person with wonder and amazement, as it sniffed Hilda's hand… and then licked it.

_What the- I… that is… that feels surprisingly good…_

Tepig kept licking Hilda's hand, it's warm tongue licking off the sweat of her palms. Professor Juniper and Bianca watched in amazement, and half disgust, as Hilda felt something deep within herself. It wasn't vomit, it wasn't a scream, it was… something else.

"Heh… heh… haha ah..." Hilda began to giggle as Tepig kept on licking her hand. Using her other hand, she tried doing an experimental pet, feeling that the Pokémon was warm to the touch, but didn't instantly burn her. Emboldened, she picked it up, cuddling it on her shoulder as it began licking around her shoulder and ear.

"So… what is his name?" Hilda asked, starting to feel… happy. Was this happiness? At least she wasn't panicking. It felt… really good instead.

"It's Gene…" Bianca said, smiling as Gene the Tepig kept licking around Hilda's ear. "He uh… gets a bit licky…"

"That's fine!" Hilda barely said through her laughter. "I'm keeping him!"

"Hilda," Professor Juniper said, barely able to keep a straight face. "We have to make absolutely certain, are you sure that you want Gene the Tepig?"

"Yes! Haha! Absolutely yes!"

"Alright then… mind if I see your Trainer ID?"

Hilda quickly fumbled with Gene in her hands, producing her brand new trainer card. Professor Juniper then took it to an odd-looking machine, with six spherical holes and a card swipe in front of it. "These are Pokémon healing machines. As long as you present your Trainer ID at any Pokécenter, this is where your Pokémon will be healed. Would you mind if I recalled Gene for just a short moment?"

"I… Yes." Hilda quickly spat out, as Professor Juniper recalled Gene while he was in her arms.

"This'll just take a moment…" Professor Juniper said as she took the Pokéball, and placed it into one of the spherical holes. Swiping the card, the machine whirred for a moment, before dinging twice. Satisfied, Professor Juniper gave the Pokéball and the card back to Hilda, who marveled at it for a short while.

"So… Gene is now mine?" Hilda asked the Professor.

"Yes, Hilda… I'm so proud of you…"

Professor Juniper spread open her arms, as Hilda ran straight into them for a hug. The embrace they shared was short, yet sweet, as Hilda felt any remaining worries and cares slip away, unimpeded. Suddenly, she felt an extra arm on her back, as she looked to her left and saw Bianca, joining in the warm embrace.

"Well Bianca, I trust that you'll get those Pokémon safely to Aspertia City?"

"Yes, Professor!" With that, Bianca took the box and headed straight outside.

"Don't worry about her," the Professor reassured. "Skyla lent her one of her Pokémon so that she could fly over there."

Hilda heard a Pokéball open as she later heard the telltale flapping of Fly being used. "Well… the die is cast, isn't it?"

"Yes, Hilda. It is. Oh, before I forget…"

Professor Juniper disappeared for but a moment into the private apartment located within the building as she found one last gift for Hilda.

"This… is the Unova Pokédex. It contains information related to all Pokémon that can be found in the Unova region, and beyond, should it be necessary… and before you ask, no, I don't give out an empty Pokédex to new trainers… what that senile fool was thinking, is something I will never have an idea about…" Professor Juniper began muttering under her breath as Hilda examined her new Pokédex. It was a long, grey device with a red Pokéball design towards the bottom, sporting a small LCD screen at the very top. Upon pressing the power button on the side, the device lengthened as an unseen panel slid out from under the first one, lengthening the already long device and providing a second screen.

"Right then! This also contains a GPS, Pokémon battle tracker, important information on all Pokémon, including stats, nature, region of origin, oh and personality quirks, and-"

"Thank you, Professor… you're too kind."

Hilda was in amazement. Her very own Pokémon… and a Pokédex… and a new life ahead of her… this was a lot to take in at once, but she knew she had to do one thing first-

"Okay, Gene! Let's introduce you to Mama…"

* * *

**And that's it! I really hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Updates may be slightly spotty because I'm a rather busy college student, but I'll generally update every Saturday. Whether or not this means every Saturday or every other Saturday remains to be seen, but I'll have to be the judge of that. Either way, see you next week!**

**[Putsch- German for Coup D'etat]**


	2. Prologue: Black

**Well hey everybody! Looks like it was going to be every other Saturday after all! To be fair, I am a very busy college student, and it doesn't help that I have a truly astonishing amount of papers to write this semester. But anyway, welcome back! This is the second half of the prologue, focusing on Rosa's start to her journey. I'm figuring on every chapter focusing on either character's POV until they're traveling together. When that'll happen is something I only really know, albeit barely. But other than that, on with the show!**

**[TW: Overbearing Parent]**

* * *

**BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.**

"Ugh… what…"

**BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.**

"Ergh…"

**BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.**

"Alright alright… I'm up…"

Slowly, but surely, a long, slender arm reached over to fumble with the trumpeting alarm clock. Slowly, but surely, the hand on its end fumbled around, trying to find the snooze button for five precious extra minutes of sleep.

_Ah… that's bet-_

**BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.**

_FUCK!_

Slowly, but surely, a pale, fairly curvy form rose out of her bed, rubbing her blue eyes and popping her joints before shutting their alarm off.

_Oy… time for a shower… Why are my clothes so neatly arranged on the floor?_

She wasn't kidding. A full-blown trainer outfit was folded, pressed, and conspicuously placed right in the middle of her room. Stepping around it, and preparing for a shower, she kept wondering why her clothes had to be so important as to collect dust on the floor, just to save a few precious seconds.

_Something's important about today… what was it again… _

Warming up the shower, and getting in, she kept wondering. There was something in the back of her head, saying- nay, nagging her about something important to do today. She just forgot what it was. How did she forget what it was? She had to know about something going on. Eventually, she sighed, finishing up her shower before getting out, brushing her teeth, and continuing to wonder what the hell she forgot.

_What was today again… what was it… what was it… what wa-_

Mindlessly checking the calendar on her bathroom mirror, she suddenly realized what was so important. It was August 15th. Her 18th birthday. The day she would-

_THAT'S RIGHT! BIANCA SHOULD BE HERE IN-_

Rosa scrambled back into her room, naked, just to check the time on her brand new Xtransceiver. The time read a square 8:45.

_Okay… relax Rosa… Bianca will be here by 10:30. This leaves you more than enough time to do your hair…  
_

With that, she began to get dressed. Slipping into a pair of black tights, yellow short shorts, and a white shirt with baby blue sleeves, she sat down in front of a fully lit mirror, wondering what to do with her hair- an extremely long, flowing mane of brown hair that flowed past her waist and even down to her thighs.

"Oh, Rosa… don't you know you should have called me up to do it?"

Rosa turned to the sudden voice. Her mother- standing tall and proud in the doorway to her room, started strutting like a Milotic into her room, despite the fact that she wasn't even inside a contest- or anywhere else public for that matter.

"Moooooommmm… you know I can do my own buns…"

"A-ba-ba!" Her mother interjected. "I know you can do your own buns, but just because you're now a big girl with her own Pokémon doesn't mean that your mother still can't do her daughter's hair."

Rosa grimaced as she felt a steely cold pair of hands work their way, pulling very tightly as they started wrapping her hair into her usual style, two large side buns that looked somewhat like Princess Leia except even more helpless.

"Mooooommm… you're pulling…"

"All the better to get your pesky little hair together with, dear."

Eventually, arduously, Rosa's hair was pulled, tied, pulled again, tied again, drenched in so much hairspray that one wrong look could set her head aflame, and then completed with a white and pink striped visor, completing her look.

"Now then!" her mother exclaimed. "There's an open box of Quinoa puffs downstairs for breakfast, with some prunes to go along with them… can't have my baby start wrecking her GI tract on the first day of her journey…"

_[Yeah. "My Baby…"]_

Sighing, she got up and headed downstairs. The sunlight streamed through the windows as the lack of clouds proved auspicious. Her mother was also downstairs, watching _Good Morning Unova_ as Rosa started to make herself a bowl of "Verdanturf Select Quinoa Puffs."

"You're using the half cup, right?"

Rosa sighed to herself. "Yes mom!"

"Alright, continue on…"

Grabbing a bowl and a half cup, she started to make herself the prescribed bowl- lest she incur her mother's wrath. One cup of cereal, a half cup almond milk, exactly four medium-sized prunes, and done. It wasn't _bad_ per se, it was just utterly tasteless with just a hint of soul depletion with extra fiber. Choking it down, she then relaxed in the living room as the TV played away at the newest story:

_"And we have exciting news from Castelia City this morning, as we await the reopening of its own Pokémon League gym, we spoke with Burgh just to get the view on the situation."_

"Heh… I'm glad that that place finally got redesigned. Why he wanted challengers to get covered with Honey is anybody's guess!" Rosa jested, trying to break the ice.

"Well, who knows? It might have a health benefit nobody knows about!"

"Moooooommm… why do you have to make everything about health?"

"Because I want to make sure my baby is feeling as good as she can be!"

Rosa screamed internally. _[Sure, but literally everything? Even to the point of embarrassing me at school? I'm a kid! I should be eating pizza like normal people! Not some fucking weird keto-Farfetch'd monstrosity!]_

On the outside, however, she just nodded along, becoming increasingly restless as the minutes and seconds wore on increasingly long. Eventually, the time _finally_ read 10:00.

"Well, Mother… I guess I'll go outside now, just to see when Bianca comes in…"

Rosa's mother grimaced. "Isn't Bianca getting here by 10:30?"

"Well, yes," Rosa argued. "I just need to take a short walk outside to calm the nerves."

"Well, fine, but just remember, I'm right here in case something bad hap-"

Rosa slammed the front door behind her, sighing as she breathed in the hot, humid air. The warm breeze and humid air hung heavily, as a small amount of haze was obstructing the sky as Rosa walked outside, basking in the sunlight of a brand new day.

_[And today's the first day I get a Pokémon, too! Nothing but my Mother cou-]_

"Hi, Rosa!"

_[Shit.]_

As if ordained by Giratina himself, _he_ came around. Standing at about 5'5", his comically spiky blue hair betraying his true height, he came waltzing down in his classic red and white jacket, dark blue jeans, red shoes, and the look on his face that said _I'm going to take on the whole world! And nobody can stop me!_ Arceus, what an unabashed prick.

"Hey, you get a Pokémon yet? There's no trainers around and I'm getting bored!"

Rosa sighed and pinched her nose. "Hugh… why are you trying to find trainers despite not having a Pokémon? Don't you realize that Bianca was giving us a Pokémon out of the endless kindness of both her and Professor Juniper?"

Rosa saw the gears grind in Hugh's head, much like an extremely confused Klinklang.

"You're right!" Hugh exclaimed. "Bianca _was_ giving us a Pokémon today!"

Rosa almost facepalmed. How _anybody_ that stupid was second in the trainer's school is something she had the absolute faintest on, but one thing was clear- the only person who could beat him in _Showdown! _was her.

"Rosa?" A little voice called out from behind Hugh. Rosa's heart warmed a little when she saw that it was Toni, Hugh's little sister. No more than ten, she sported a heart of absolute gold that had to be protected at all costs- Rosa and Hugh both saw to it that it happened.

"What, little one?" Rosa asked, masking her annoyance at Hugh while showing genuine interest in what Toni had to say.

"I… I just…" Toni began, "If you get a Pokémon, take really, really good care of it, OK?"

Rosa smiled. "Of course I will…" Rosa booped Toni on the nose as she rose back up to talk with Hugh. He looked at Toni just for a moment, as if there was any additional baggage to what she said before he went right back into _Über-Prick_ mode.

"OK! Let's go get your Pokémon, Rosa!" Hugh made a shonen protagonist pose that made Rosa want to slap him in the face.

Rosa sighed. "Hugh, just… follow me… Toni, go home."

Toni smiled and nodded, skipping off in a different direction. Hugh, on the other hand, started walking along with Rosa, along the various streets of the picturesque City of Aspertia.

"So… what do you think she'll have for us?" Hugh asked, trying to break the ice between him and Rosa.

"If memory serves correctly," Rosa said, "Professor Juniper had three starters ready, but she had to get rid of one due to a new trainer who popped up suddenly."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that the two of us are going to have to choose between two starter Pokémon. Who they are is something I'm not entirely sure about yet."

"Oy… shouldn't she have more available? How many eggs can two Pokémon crank out, anyway?"

Rosa cringed. "Hugh, Pokémon breeding is _much_ more complex than stick two of your Pokémon inside the daycare and hope that they're attracted to a Ditto. You have to consider bloodlines, genetic diversity, and whether or not the Pokémon will even be compatible in the first place!"

"Err… Rosa… Why do you know this?"

"It's because I did that topic for my senior thesis, Hugh. Didn't you do yours?"

"Err… yeah…"

"What was it on?"

"It was… err… Oh, there's Bianca!"

"Very funny, Hugh, ve-"

"No! She's up on the lookout!"

"I… what?"

Rosa looked behind towards Hugh, who was looking straight up at Aspertia City's lookout, a small platform on top of a large hill that overlooked the entire city. On the top of the hill, Rosa could barely make out a girl, with blonde hair flowing about in the wind, tucked under a green cap. On a bench beside her, they could barely make out a conspicuously white box.

"Hah!" Hugh exclaimed. "Of course she'd be up at Aspertia City's most famous spot! Let's go and talk with her!"

Rosa huffed, as suddenly Hugh began sprinting around and up the steps. Of course, Hugh could have his moments of brilliance. Nobody was truly an idiot, and even then, Hugh always had a smile and determination that was admirable… if not too foolhardy. Rosa followed Hugh as they both dashed their way up the large number of stairs that lead up straight to the lookout, where surely their futures awaited. Both zeroed in on their mission to be the first ones up to the top, their legs crying out for mercy as they started ascending the last steps to ultimate glory.

"... Well…" a voice said. "You look a little beat…"

Rosa shifted her gaze up, looking at the oft fabled assistant to Prof. Juniper: Bianca. Standing herself up, and quietly stepping her way over to the exhausted trainers, she chuckled as she started holding out the box. Rosa felt her heart pounding as she looked at it. In that box was her future. In that box contained her hopes and dreams of finally getting out of home and exploring the world with nothing but her, a Pokémon, and the wind at their ba-

"So… do I get first crack or what?" Hugh asked, unknowingly interrupting Hilda's line of thinking.

"Well… err…" Bianca had an embarrassed look on her face as she set the box down. "I'm sure both of you got the memo about the starter shortage?"

Rosa and Hugh nodded.

"Well, what this means is that I'm going to do something a bit unusual, that is, I'm going to leave it up to chance." Bianca reached into her purse, eventually producing a 500 Pokéyen coin, embossed with a Pikachu on one side and the denomination on the reverse.

"Because Rosa is the girl here, I'll let her call. Rosa, heads or tails?"

Rosa took a deep breath. It was fine, really. There wasn't a 50/50 chance that she had to let Hugh determine her future.

"H-heads…"

Bianca nodded, making a fist with her right hand, tucking her thumb underneath her index finger as she prepared to flip the coin.

"In that case, Rosa has called heads for first dibs, while Hugh is calling tails. I'm sure we'll be able to respect the results of the coin toss?"

Rosa and Hugh both reluctantly nodded. Seeing that, Bianca flicked up her thumb, sending the coin flying high into the air, spinning rapidly as it came back down. Although it just took a few seconds, it felt like an eternity to Rosa, waiting to know whether or not she'd be playing second fiddle to Hugh. Eventually, Bianca caught the coin, slapping it onto the back of her other hand as both of them nervously awaited the result. Slowly, painfully, Bianca uncovered the coin, right as the result shone plainly, etching itself as another nervous chapter in Rosa's life:

Tails.

"WOOOOOOOOT! YEAAAAAH!" Hugh shouted, unable to contain his excitement. Bianca chuckled as Hugh raucously celebrated his victory, shouting into the air as if he'd already won the Unova League.

"Now, now, Hugh, don't get too excited…" Bianca opened the box, revealing two Pokéballs nested in fine purple velvet. A round divot in the center indicated the previous presence of a third, sticking out like a sore thumb underneath the box. "I should also mention," Bianca interrupted. "Because of a type disadvantage with the removal of one of these Pokémon, you will not be able to know which one you're picking before Rosa.

Rosa perked up at that. Maybe there was still a chance she could win this out? Was the Pokéyen flip just an unintentionally cruel red herring?

Hugh, now fully understanding the situation, nervously hovered his hands over both Pokéballs, unable to truly decide which one to pick. Eventually, however, his eyes filled up with resolve, swiping the Pokéball on the right and posing with it excitedly.

"Alright, buddy! It's just going to be you, me, and the world right ahead of us!"

Bianca rolled her eyes as she turned over to Rosa. "Rosa? If you wouldn't mind?" Bianca asked as she motioned Rosa over. As Rosa stood up, she thought about the single Pokéball left. Selected by default to the last trainer remaining. A practical Mr. Irrealavent. A Pokémon that, by chance, was the one picked last despite the careful breeding and effort that went into it. What an oddly cruel beginning, all things considered.

"Heh... Guess it's just you and me, buddy…" she gripped it with both hands. Surprisingly, she could feel _it._ She knew that it wasn't actually her Pokémon in there. The capture matrix tended to oscillate within the ball, it's something they were designed to do. But, she didn't know that it would feel a lot like a heartbeat. It was comforting, for sure… but now was the moment of truth.

"Wait…" Hugh wondered. "I have a Pokémon now… and Rosa has a Pokémon as well! Rosa, you know what this means!" Hugh held out his Pokéball right out in front of him as he implicitly challenged Rosa to a fight.

Rosa nodded. "In that case, there is no time like the present. Let's go!" Rosa threw out her Pokéball, it cracking open in a brilliant flash of white light. Shifting and changing, it landed on the ground, producing a Pokémon that was primarily green-ish in color, looking long, thin, and slightly lanky, its features highly pointy and accentuated, most notably its nose.

"I… it's a Snivy!" Rosa cheered, as Hugh sent out his Pokéball, cracking open into a similar flash of white light. This time, the Pokémon was primarily blue in color, sporting a face not all unlike a Bidoof, sporting a light blue fuzz on his chest topped with a small, white seashell.

"Wait, what? I got the weaker option?" Hugh was confused as Rosa sighed with relief. She got the better end of the deal anyway, all things considered. Even if it was entirely too stressful.

"HAH! Suck it, Hugh, I ended up with the type advantage anyway! Snivy, tackle!"

Snivy looked at its trainer with a slight amount of confusion, not really recognizing its species name.

"Err… Rosa? Her name is Victoria or Vicky for short." Bianca uttered, dying of frustration on the inside. "And Hugh? The Oshawott's name is Wilfred."

Hugh nodded. "In that case, Wilfred? Tackle!"

"Vicky! Do the same!"

The two Pokémon charged at each other, slamming into each other with a concussive force. She knew that at least a fourth of Vicky's health had to have been drained because of it, but so was Wilfred.

"Okay Will!" Hugh shouted, already shortening his Oshawott's name. "Try doing a Tail Whip!"

_[Heh… so he did listen in Basic Battles…]_ Rosa knew that the starters usually came knowing Tackle, a fairly damaging normal type move, and some form of Defense lowering move. She watched as Will started hypnotically swinging his tail back and forth, lowering Vicky's guard and leaving her with a decreased defense.

"Alright, Vicky! Let's go for another tackle!" The Snivy ran forward, slamming again directly into the Oshawott. This time, Will was slightly slower to get up, but Rosa knew this battle was far from over yet.

"Hm… Alright, Will, I need you to do another Tail Whip!" The Oshawott started swinging its tail yet again, side to side as Vicky fell for it again, her defense even more lowered by the attack.

"Alright, Vicky! Tackle one more time!" Vicky ran forward again, but this time, it was almost executed perfectly, landing extra hard for a critical hit. Wilfred, having the wind knocked out of him, launched backward, landing fainted at Hugh's feet. Hugh knelt down as he took out the Pokéball and called back his new compatriot, a stream of red light summoning the injured Pokémon back into the ball.

"It's okay buddy…" Hugh reassured. "You did well."

Rosa, on the other hand, was dumbstruck. Sure, she supposed she could win, but _like that?_ Maybe her luck was swinging in a positive direction after all! Who'da guessed? As she went to the center of the platform, she petted Victoria on the head. Victoria loved it, shuddering under Rosa's gentle hand and preening her nose while squealing happily.

"So… I assume the other trainer took a Tepig, then?"

Bianca nodded. "I'm honestly grateful for her. It was something that's been a long time coming. I'm really sorry that it had to conflict with the beginning of your journey…"

Rosa shook her head. "It's fine, Bianca. At least she now gets to go on her journey. Who knows? Maybe I'll even meet her!"

"Heh…" Bianca chuckled. "She started in Nuvema town, so in all likelihood, you'll cross paths in either Castelia or Nimbasa. Both are places that trainers from both circuits stay at for a good long while. Oh! Speaking of Circuits, when are you going to challenge the Aspertia gym?"

Rosa thought for awhile. "Hmm… Cheren, can't say that I've really gotten to know him that well, but I know he specializes primarily in Normal types…"

Bianca nodded. "He's actually a good friend of mine! We go back, trust me."

Rosa wrapped her hand around her chin in deep thought. "Hm… In that case… I should probably invest in trying to catch a fighting type… I know there's a bunch of really good Pokémon over at Floccesy Ranch… there's gotta be something there…"

Bianca nodded. "In that case, do whatever you need to do. I'm assuming you're already familiar with the art of catching Pokémon?"

"Mhm! Didn't get an advanced Trainer's License any old way… Although I did wait until I was eighteen…"

Bianca cocked her head to the side. "Strange… generally, you can get your license when you're fourteen, after two years of Trainer's School and with Parental consent. Generally, you spend longer in there if you wanted to become a Gym Leader…"

Rosa huffed. "Yeah… ain't that a bitch?"

Bianca shrugged. "Whatever. I'm sure your mother had some good reasons for holding you back so lo-"

Suddenly, Bianca's Xtransiever started ringing. Answering it, it turned out to be Prof. Juniper on the other end.

_Hey Bianca!_ _Did you deliver the two Pokémon to Rosa and Hugh yet?_

Bianca nodded. "Yup! And they battled with them, too! I was just about to take them over to the Pokécenter to get them healed up and registered."

_That's great! Oh, did you give them my special present yet?_

"I uh… oh that's right!" Bianca started rummaging through her white bag, pulling out two long, thin devices with an LCD screen on one side. As Rosa held it, she looked with confusion as to what it was.

"That…" Bianca started. "Is the next generation of Pokédex! Constructed by the hands of Dr. Aurea Juniper herself! It-"

_Let me handle this, Bianca. That right there can detect your Pokémon's HP, nature, habitat, stats, and a whole bunch of other things! Try turning it on!_

Rosa fumbled with it until she saw a power switch to the side. Flipping it, the device suddenly lengthened itself, as a second LCD screen stacked itself on top of the first. Rosa nodded with amazement as she flipped the switch again, watching the Device spring back into its initial state.

"Wow… that's rather unique… Thank you, Professor! I'll cherish this throughout my journey!"

_You're welcome, Rosa! Let me know if you're ever going to go out of Unova anytime soon. I'm still writing the software for the other regions as we speak. Right now I've fully completed Unova and Hoenn, but I could patch something together if you're going anywhere else._

Rosa smiled as she rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Professor. I'll be sure to give you a call." With that, she took out Victoria's Pokéball, sending her back inside with a stream of red light.

"In that case, next stop, Pokécenter, right?"

Hugh nodded as he put his Pokédex in his own bag. "I suppose, but don't think I'll let this go that easily! I'll go and train Wilfred up, and we _will_ win next time!"

Rosa huffed. "Well, I'm excited for your next challenge!" She started down the stairs, already pleased at the day's events. It was one step more, closer to her dream of traveling the world, closer to her dream of training a strong team, closer to her dream of being away from her _Mother!_ _Permanently! _She looked up at the sky, puffy clouds hazing along in the August heat.

"You hear that Unova? Somebody's coming, and it's gonna be me!" Rosa proudly shouted as she ran down to the Pokécenter, charging bravely into her new life.

* * *

**And that's the end of this chapter! I did want to go ahead and address why Rosa, the player character, is actually getting the type advantage here. In almost every case of canon I could find (albeit from the B2W2 trailer and a dash of the Manga,) Hugh canonically owns a Samurott. Likewise, Rosa owns a Serperior, and Hilda owns an Emboar. That doesn't mean that I'll make things any less difficult for Rosa as time goes on, as Hugh will end up being the least of her worries in the end.**

**Now that the Prologues are out of the way, now's the time where we get into the meat and potatoes of this story. Join us next time in two or so weeks after you've recovered from your (American) Thanksgiving food comas as we see Hilda take her first few tenuous steps into her journey. Until then, be sure to follow, favorite, and especially review! See you around! **


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